The contents of this book are a compilation of short commentaries about politics and life in general. These commentaries are presented in chronological order, beginning with the latest (August 2010), and ending with the earliest (June 2008). The objective of the commentaries is to foster a new awareness for the reader by being exposed to new and different ways of looking at and understanding some of the things that affect us all everyday. At the very least, the views, opinions and ideas presented herein should be a refreshing departure from the fare offered by the mass media and their established "talking heads and columnists." It is the opinion of the author that the mass media commentary we all are subjected to on a daily basis is not necessarily relevant to the large majority of citizens because they are made by those who rarely share the same stress of living that most of us do in our everyday lives. So, it is the sincere aspiration of the author that a new awareness and perspective about politics and life in general will result upon reading these humble offerings. Ronald L Clark was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and is the father of four children. Most of his professional years have been involved in design engineering for the United States Navy. He is the holder of a number of patents and was the Science and Technology leader at the Naval Air Warfare Center that featured a technical career that highlights system engineering as the most rewarding of his technical endeavors. He is an avid sailor and still enjoys hitting the links when the sun is shining brightly.

A straightforward look at the history and the art of maintaining courteous communication in an increasingly divided world. Have you ever been in a conversation that, after volleying back and forth, ended with the words, “I’m just saying . . .”? Usually, this signals frustration, that the discussion has reached a dead end, that you haven’t made your point, and may even leave you feeling that your relationship with the other person has changed for the worse. Digital interactions, devoid of nuance and understanding, further complicate discussion. We may believe that we are superior because our opinions are the “right” ones, and in the future avoid conversations with those whose opinions differ from ours, sending us into a never-ending echo chamber. In I’m Just Saying, author Milan Kordestani shows us that although challenging conversations can be unpleasant, they can also help us grow. Sometimes, people inspire us to change how we speak, making us better communicators in the process as we search to find common ground with those with whom we disagree. Kordestani uses contemporary case studies and personal experience to teach readers how to have constructive conversations by engaging in civil discourse—the idea that good-faith actors can reach consensus on any opinion-based disagreement. He discusses influential leaders and reflects on his successes and failures in creating The Doe, an online publication focused on civil discourse. He addresses the challenges that digital media consumption presents when seeking common ground—especially when people are only digitally connected. Civil discourse, an essential part of democracy, is becoming rare in today's digital age. I’m Just Saying examines discourse's successes and the ways to rebuild it. Drawing from history, popular culture, and personal anecdotes, the book promotes effective civil discourse by providing practical advice and strategies for respect. Through story, I’m Just Saying offers insight and tools for politeness in a divided world.

What my book is about, There something for everybody: Did you ever buy a greeting card that had just what you felt, or wanted to say? Well you will find one of my poems that will fit the emotions that you feel, have the words you wanted to say? Use the poem to express your situation and emotion. If my poem includes a name, just substitute for the name you want to use, and acknowledge the author.

The book I'm Just Saying, in my opinion, gives an example of the power of thought. Be it good or bad, every person that has lived and is living is a living example of our thoughts. A thought is nothing more than a thought until there is action taken on its behalf. How you process your thoughts can be changed in an instant. It all starts with you. I'm Just Saying gives a simple breakdown of how easily the mind is manipulated by the ways of this world. Although it is wise to be aware of the ways of this world, it doesn't mean you should allow yourself to become a victim of it. Many people have corrupted minds. You may be sitting next to one of those people now. That person may be you. If you are aware of certain situations and you know you should create a change for the better in you, why haven't you? It all starts with a thought. Here's a different point of view. The Creator of the universe had a thought. He said, aEURoeLet there be light!aEUR Light appeared, and it was good. From there, God had one thought after another for six days straight, creating the world we live in today. He had pure thoughts, spoke life into them, and they manifested. From the beginning of time, everything is manifested through a thought. I'm just saying.

"I'm Not Saying, I'm Just Saying," a novel in flash fiction, is a raw, honest look at parenting, commitment, morality, and the spaces that grow between and within us when we don't know what to say. In these 115 titled chapters, a man, who learns he has a 5-year-old son, is caught between the life he knows and a life he may not yet be ready for. This is a book that tears down the boundaries in relationships, sentences, origin and identity, no matter how quickly its narrator tries to build them up. "Matthew Salesses' "I'm Not Saying, I'm Not Saying" is an absolute stunner of a novel. Told in short, sharp vignettes with prose that is taut, yet overflowing with meaning, this is the story of a year in the life of a complex and haunted, cobbled together family. The beauty of Salesses' writing here lies in his fearlessness, the emotional blows to the heart and head and gut he's willing to deliver, as if to say: This, this is life And we are all, in one way or another, survivors." -Kathy Fish, author of "Together We Can Bury It" "Matthew Salesses has written an extraordinary and startlingly original novel that explores connection and disconnection, the claims and limitations of the self, and the shifting terrain of truth. Poetic, unforgettable, shot through with fury and yearning, "I'm Not Saying, I'm Just Saying" captures in clear and chilling flashes our capacity for the cruelty and tenderness of love." -Catherine Chung, author of "Forgotten Country" "In Matt Salesses's smart novel-in-shorts, a newly-minted father flees telling his own story by any means necessary-by sarcasm, by denial, by playful and precise wordplay-rarely allowing space for his emerging feelings to linger. But the truth of who we might be is not so easily escaped, and it is in the accumulation of many such moments that our narrator, like us, is revealed: both the people we have been, and the better people we might be lucky enough to one day hope to become." -Matt Bell, author of "In the House upon the Dirt between the Lake and the Woods" ""I'm Not Saying, I'm Just Saying" renders the messiness of life, family, love in its myriad complex forms-romance lost and found, blood ties, squandered, unrequited-via 115 micro-stories that add up to a pointillist masterpiece." -Marie Myung-Ok Lee, author of "Somebody's Daughter" "Through a series of provocative, beautiful, and at times, brutally raw shorts, Matthew Salesses creates a complex, vulnerable portrait of modern fatherhood and masculinity. Narrated by our seemingly reckless, yet hyper-observant narrator, these vignettes build with tension and trepidation, until we, like the members of this reluctant, fractured family, realize the weight, burden and comfort that only comes from finally belonging." -Aimee Phan, author of "The Reeducation of Cherry Truong"

Daniel Kleinberger, Professor of Law, William Mitchell College of Law Very interesting – style is “steam of consciousness” with forays into Scriptures setting the course for the stream. Chris Wright, President Minnesota Timberwolves, Member of the Downtown Council, Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce Tom I have read a number of chapters but not all of it, and really have no substantive changes or comments.... as a man of God you are a wonderful ambassador. Reverend Lonnie L. Branch “I ‘m Just Say’n” by the Reverend Thomas H. Vanleer, is inspired of God! His experiences in life has been tempered by the Spirit of God in guiding him in ministry as well as writing...May God continue to bless him! George Blackwell, Director of Community Affairs (retired) Qwest Communications The author of I’m just say’n has clearly captured the essence of what’s good, bad, and in some cases what’s evil in our society. By using biblical scriptures, Mr. Vanleer uses clear references to articulate the differences and in some instances the similarities of each chapter. I found the book to be very engaging, very informative, and very thought-provoking. I highly recommend this book for future reading.